- Chapter 28: Succession -

No cliché or metaphor of death could have explained those final few moments. No light at the end of the tunnel. No empty abyss yawning into an infinite horizon. No quiet stillness or trumpeting fanfare or gates of heaven.

I only felt utter, broiling confusion. I tossed and turned in an invisible whirlpool, my body crumpling and stretching simultaneously. No, "body" was not the right word. Perhaps…sense of being? My existence itself felt malleable. Unseen forces shaped it like a potter angrily beating his incomplete creation back into an amorphous shape. This brutal treatment nearly unraveled me.

Then, I broke free. All became still. I felt detached from reality. In this new space, I drifted without sight or sound. Then, a gray haze slowly accrued around me. It caressed me as a blanket would, lulling me. While this was no heaven, I could exist here contentedly for the rest of eternity. Perhaps this was the fate of all who used the sacred weapon.

Would I encounter Shroud here in this foggy void? I hoped he was as powerless as I felt.

I had no idea how long I had been drifting when I bumped into something solid. An incredible dread swept over me, and I perversely craned my head to the side.

A broiling mass thrashed against an invisible barrier. Bleeding eyes, mutated limbs, and distorted bodies writhed against each other. Hands missing fingers clawed at me, screaming without noise.

Frightened to my core, I tried to push away from the barrier, but my body stuck to it like mortar to brick. More hands beat against the barrier, distorting it over me. Horrified, I helplessly watched the barrier encroach more and more over me, threatening to enclose me and eject me out the other side. Already, a hole was forming, and fingers wedged themselves in the gap to pry it wider. Their screams now reached my ears, and their horrible, otherworldly wails made me want to go deaf.

Moments before they could grab me, a bright light flared in my vision. Instinctively, I squeezed my eyes shut. I could feel the barrier peeling off me and my body being freed. Cracking open my eyes, I thought I recognized the shape of the light. Before I could tell, my head hit against a wall, and I heard a sound like breaking glass.

The pure force of the blow stunned me, and the next thing I knew, I was laying on cold, hard stone. Refreshingly, a sharp clarity had replaced the fog in my mind; when I tried to stand, I discovered I had full motor control of my body. However, an intense fatigue wracked my muscles, so I reclined back on my haunches with a deep groan.

"Ah, you are awake."

Startled, I exclaimed, "Who said that?"

At that moment, I observed that I was sitting at the bottom of an enclosed amphitheater. One side had totally collapsed, and shattered stone littered the other side. Cracks ran down the side, some even coming to the floor. An oculus above me permitted light to enter, but I could not spot the sun from my vantage point.

My roving eyes eventually landed on the base of the amphitheater, and I nearly leapt out of my skin. Translucent ghosts, pallid white with an icy blue tint, hovered silently. On their forms burned a golden mark: a solid ring with four diamonds pointing in the cardinal directions. The points of the diamonds did not quite meet in the middle.

From the lack of other life in the room, I knew that one of them had spoken. Unnerved, I shifted backward, searching for an escape.

"There is no need to run," the ghost closest to me, a beartic, admonished. The sun mark shone on his left pectoral.

"Who are you? What is this place?" I asked the ghost.

His chest lifted and sunk in a great sigh, somehow audible despite his lack of a physical set of lungs. "You reside in the Magnum Court. Do you truly not recognize this venue?"

I scanned over the area once more, scouring my mind for a faint recollection. Then, a memory sprang to mind: a dream of an open-air theater with many pokémon in the seats. However, a roof covered this place, and the stone here lacked the dream theater's vibrant colors, not to mention the state of horrid disrepair.

"I'm…not sure," I said at last. I had to play this cautiously.

"Did our past attempt at communication fail?" the beartic pressured. Clearly, he expected me to deny that question, but his remark about communication hooked me. After recent events, I now fully acknowledged the presence of the supernatural; dreams were no longer the safe spaces I had taken for granted.

"I don't think so. I might have had something like that," I vaguely responded. "This place hardly matches up, though."

Another ghost, a staraptor, interjected, "That was probably due to a mix of problems. You were in a confused mental state after ejecting that wretched curse. Your brain most likely overloaded, so it seems to have only absorbed certain details and filled in the rest with its own interpretation. This is the true Court."

I bit my lip. These ghosts made no sense. "Why bother with all that, then? Who are you?"

The ghosts exchanged glances. The beartic turned back to me, his face set in a grim line. "I had expected this much, but to see in person how much knowledge has been lost…"

He straightened his posture. "We are the former Paladins, servants of Arceus himself. This Court is our gathering place; it is part of the Hall of Origin."

The name "Paladin" meant nothing to me, but "Hall of Origin" sure did. "You're kidding me, aren't you? I know I'm dead, but there's no way this is the gate to heaven!"

"And yet, it is, Mona," the beartic replied. I bristled when he used my name.

How much do they know about me? I thought apprehensively. Still, the reality lay undeniably before me, and I could sense the truth in the beartic's words. Being raised in a religious family, my faith trembled as his words sunk into my mind. Was Arceus not a present force in our lives, watching over us and guiding us? How could things be this way?

My voice shaking, I asked the beartic, "Why…Why is it like this?"

The beartic slowly blinked, and the mark on his chest dimmed. "Perhaps…you should lay down for this."

I cocked my head at him in curiosity, but I curled up, nonetheless. Only now did I realize that I could not feel the roughness of the stone underneath me.

The beartic hovered over to me and sat down on the lowest level of seating. Resting his arms on his legs, he began to speak.

"What is told in your day about the beginning of existence is not quite the truth. Arceus indeed existed at the dawn of time, but another was with him: Axios, his twin brother. The two shared a bond unlike any after it, and their pure joy in each other's presence spurred them to create the universe. After they filled the void with the cosmos, Arceus desired to create life so that the love they shared would fill the new universe. Axios was not as keen on the idea, so to compromise, Arceus only filled one planet with life."

"Ours," I breathed.

"Yes," he agreed. "Only Arceus had a hand in creating us, however. He populated this planet, creating all manner of creatures, humans and pokémon both. As Arceus began to devote more of his time to intermingling with his creation, Axios became more and more distant. Eventually, Axios grew to resent his brother's attention toward beings he saw as inferior. This jealously corrupted him, and he sought to destroy creation by turning it against itself. He spurred humans to fight for dominance over pokémon and incited pokémon to fight against one another. Arceus stood against his brother, and a cosmos-rending conflict ensued. After horrible bloodshed, Arceus just barely managed to seal Axios in a separate dimension created to be his prison. From that point on, Arceus declared his brother's name to be Mordeus in recognition of the death of their bond.

"Furthermore, he spliced humans and some pokémon from this plane in an attempt to end the conflict on this planet. This splicing was called the Great Schism; although, knowledge of it is nearly nonexistent now. Unfortunately, the Schism was not as complete as it should have been, for Arceus was very weakened from fighting his brother. Some of Mordeus's followers remained, and Arceus now knew that he alone could not protect his creation. To that end, he named a valiant pokémon as his agent to spearhead efforts to defend life, granting that pokémon a measure of his power."

Toward the back of the assembly of spirits, I saw one shift out of view. I tried to track where the ghost had vanished, but their luminous forms blended together too much for me to discern much of anything.

"This pokémon became known as the very first Paladin, Arceus's holy defender," the beartic continued. "Soon after, Arceus fell into a deep slumber. Keep in mind that this was not that long ago, perhaps only a thousand years or so. Creation was very peaceful for millennia. Anyway, guided by our creator's power, each Paladin here fought proudly in his name and passed down their power to their successor when their time was at its end. Despite how this court appears, we do not regret the choices we made in serving him."

My stomach curled in horror. "So, things are like this because Arceus is no longer…here…?"

The beartic shook his head slightly. "Not quite that, but partially, yes. We await the day for when he awakens, but for now, we must continue the mission that he set out for us," the beartic replied.

I slowly blinked at him. "But how? You guys are…you aren't alive anymore. How can there be a successor?"

Did he tell me all of this to just make me lose hope? Arceus is gone from our lives. Gone!

The beartic leaned back and stared me straight in eyes. The air charged with tension, and the gravity of his expression sent shivers down my spine. The knot in my stomach twisted itself into a pretzel.

Whatever he was about to say meant more than anything else he had said up until this point. After all, what else could he tell me other than that there was nobody? That all of creation was doomed to face a faceless enemy without Arceus's ace-in-the-hole?

Then, he said the words that I not been expecting at all.

"Mona, that successor is you."

If I had been standing, my legs would have given out.

"No way. That can't be right," I whispered.

"But it's true. After all, the Sol Disk responded to you, did it not?"

Sol Disk. "But that was just an accident," I stated, quickly deducing that he meant the ancient weapon. After all, I had fallen on top of it after Icarus had tried to use it. However, now that I contemplated that event, I recalled that the weapon did not glow in his hands like it had under my paws.

"Was it?" he simply queried as if he sensed my thoughts.

"Sure, but I died from it just like Shroud did. My body's probably in a pile of ashes," I said with a subtle bite, backing away. How long was he going to keep toying with me? My hope had already hit rock bottom; now, he was just tossing it right back in my face.

"You are not dead. Look," the beartic said. Rising, he marched over to a circular mark on the center of the floor. Placing a paw on its edge, he creased his brow in concentration. A network of complex runes ignited; then, the circle faded into transparency, revealing a mountain pass from a point high above it. Figures scuttled through the pass, running as if their lives depended on it.

"See? There you are. At least, in physical form," the beartic said, pointing to a person in the middle. The setting blurred, then refocused on that person. I gasped as Eris filled the frame, my body wrapped in her arms. Her tears dripped down her face and onto my fur. I nearly broke down myself at the sight of her grief.

But the Paladin was right. My body had not disintegrated.

The beartic waved a paw over the image, and it disappeared. I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off.

"You simply were not ready to handle that level of power yet," he said. "While your body was unharmed, the pure energy cleaved your spirit from it. So energetically charged was your spirit that you nearly sent yourself into Limbo, where Mordeus is imprisoned. In fact, you would have crossed the barrier with your power had another not come and saved you."

Saved me… Wait. That light…

"Hey, Mona."

My heart skipped a beat.

She stood between two Paladins, her spirit glowing in full, beautiful color. Without a second's hesitation, I ran up to her and hugged her.

"Oh, my word, Lucy! I can't believe it's you!" I said effusively.

She laughed, and I pulled away from her, smiling. A sudden connection clicked in my mind, and I blurted, "Are these the people who sent you to help me fight the Fallen inside of me?"

She nodded. "Yes, they were."

"So then…why did you help me again? Didn't you tell me to forget about you?"

She sighed and glanced away. "Yes, but…" She looked back at me. "After that incident, I had full intentions of keeping my end of the bargain, but when I saw you struggling, I knew I couldn't stand on the sidelines. Mona, they can't do much from here. It's been so long since they've been in the real world that their spirits have a hard time connecting there anymore. When they told me that I have a rare gift of being able to freely cross dimensional boundaries, I knew that I had to help."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. When they came to me a second time and asked me to be their agent to you, I couldn't turn them down."

Tears pricked at my eyes, and my heart warmed with joy. More than her words, the conviction in her eyes told me that she spoke the truth. I inhaled deeply, then exhaled, strangely calmed.

"I understand that what I'm telling you is overwhelming to take in," the beartic stated, his voice soft. "The mantle of Paladin is not easy to bear."

I pursed my lips. Lucy titled her head at me, a faint smile creasing her lips.

Arceus, I wish she were still alive. She knows just how to cheer me up, I thought longingly.

"It is. It's a lot to take in, but…," I started saying to the Paladin beartic. Gulping, I continued, "But how can I be a Paladin if no one passed it on to me?"

The Paladins shifted in unease. My brow creased; clearly, they had no idea, either.

Or did they?

"How you came to be a Paladin is not important. What is important is the responsibility you now bear and your duty to fulfill it," the beartic answered.

"Okay, then," I said, dissatisfied. I would have to press them later. Shifting away from the current awkward subject, I asked, "What kind of powers do I have as a Paladin?"

The beartic relaxed slightly. "Ah, your gifts. Yes, a Paladin can do several things." He floated toward the circle where he had conjured that image of Eris holding my body.

"You have three principle gifts. The first is the ability to control all types of Elementia, both inside and outside of your body." He raised a paw in the air, and on each claw, a different type of energy coalesced. He pondered his paw for a moment, then let the energy dissipate.

"If I were alive, I would provide a much more physical demonstration. Alas, I cannot do much more than this," he said, a note of sadness tinging his voice.

"What exactly do you mean by 'Elementia'?" I asked.

"Oh, I keep forgetting how much times have changed. Elementia refers to any and all elemental energy in the world. All of life partakes in it, and it connects all life. Elementia within the body is what I believe you call type energies. Elementia outside the body can be manipulated in the practice called magic," the beartic explained.

Intriguing, I mused. What he said made some sense; although, I never would have thought type energies and magic were one and the same. The concept somewhat boggled me, and my curiosity in the matter burgeoned.

"The second gift is one you've already encountered: the ability to use the Sol Disk, which can channel the power of the Plates. The Plates are condensed fragments of Arceus's own Elementia, and the Sol Disk was created to contain their power. However, the Sol Disk can channel much more than the Plate's Elementia: it can help you gather any Elementia from the environment. Lastly, the third gift lets you sense and purify people and objects imbued with Void," he said. Before I could open my mouth to ask about the Void, he raised a paw.

"The Void," he said with a hint of amusement, "is, simply put, the antithesis of Elementia. Mordeus created it, much like Arceus created Elementia, but Mordeus did so with a much darker purpose in mind. Void eradicates all life, withering it until it is nothing. It consumes Elementia like a ravenous beast does its prey, but Elementia is also its cure."

"That's contradictory," I stated bluntly.

"It may seem at first, but the more you explore what Elementia can truly do, the more you will understand," he said. "Now, I should point out some limitations you will have. First, none of these gifts affect your physical conditioning. I learned this one the hard way." His expression blanked for a moment; then, he shook his head.

"Second, you can't control large amounts of external Elementia without the aid of the Sol Disk," he said. "Even then, channeling too much can still have bad consequences. The way I've always put it is that your body is like a pipe and the Sol Disk is like a rain barrel. The Disk collects Elementia like the barrel gathers rain, but ultimately, that energy must travel through your body before you can use it. If you shove too much energy into the pipe, it will burst."

I nodded my head absently, mulling over his words. When I had landed on the Disk, both of the Plates inside of it had glowed. Did that mean I used the power of two Plates at once? The idea both thrilled me and terrified me.

"Wait a second," I said as another thought came to me. "How could Shroud use the Plates without his soul being spliced?"

"The Sol Disk brings out the full power of the Plates. That creature wasn't using them fully. However, that fraction is still very potent," he said.

"That's…nasty," I remarked.

"And very poetic," Lucy added. I sniggered.

"Indeed, but that is why you must never, ever let the Sol Disk fall into the wrong hands. While it is tricky to remove the Plates from the Disk once they have been inserted, it can be done," the beartic cautioned.

"Don't worry; I won't," I stated resolutely.

"Good. Now, I have one last thing to tell you," the beartic said. His expression grew solemn. "Mordeus has many servants, but his most dangerous are called his Black Augurs. Shroud is one you have met already. They are the arbiters of Mordeus's will, and they will take any chance they get to find a way to set their master free. Their souls are utterly corrupted."

A shiver traveled down my spine at the mention of the Black Augurs. A primal fear stirred in me, almost like a long-forgotten memory coming to light. I intuitively knew that if I faced another Black Augur, he or she would kill me. Shroud's misuse of the Sol Disk had been magnificently fortunate, but I could not bank on getting another happy accident like that ever again.

The beartic continued speaking. "The Black Augurs are not the only threat you should be worried about. While Mordeus created all manner of vile creatures, they've had their fair share of spawning them as well. These halflings of late are just a drop in the barrel."

"How exactly did they come about? I've been wondering that. Does it have something to do with Void?" I asked the beartic.

"Yes, Void caused their transformation. Through careful manipulation, Void can twist souls. In this instance, the curse warped their bodies once their souls had been overtaken. Life in flesh, but death in soul," he explained.

"And you got all of that just by observing from up here?" I asked incredulously.

"Eventually, when you hone your divine sense enough, you will be able to physically see Void and Elementia through all life," he said.

I narrowed my eyes at him; had he just bragged to me?

"However, this curse is somewhat different," he said. He sounded as if he were thinking aloud. "Usually, those whose souls are exposed to Void become uncontrollable and mad such that another spell is needed to bind them. However, this curse is 'two-in-one,' so to speak. The halflings are instantly bound to whoever cast the curse upon them. I know not how."

Brushing his previous comment aside, I cleared my throat. "Okay, then, that answers that about halflings. What were you saying about other—"

Before I could finish, a strong vibration ripped through me. My vision swam like water over stone, and a strong force tugged on my gut. I staggered to the side, and Lucy rushed over to support me.

"Mona, what's wrong? Is something happening?" she asked, her concern laden in every word.

"I—I don't know," I said shakily. Her face split into multiples, then conjoined a second later. The pull on my gut strengthened; I struggled to stay standing.

"Your time here is nearly up. Your body is calling you back," the Paladin stated. He floated close to me and bent down. "Mona, it is your destiny to bring this to end, for you are the last of us. You cannot fail. Reunite the Plates with Sol Disk; only then will you stand a chance."

"Last of you? What do you—" I started to say, but another vibration, this one even more powerful, coursed through me. Unable to remain upright any longer, I collapsed onto my side. My vision blurred into swirls of color. An intense burning sensation blossomed in my chest.

"Lucy," I croaked, hoping she was still there.

"Mona."

Her reply sounded so distant.

"Guess this is…goodbye, huh?" My voice barely reached a whisper.

She laughed softly.

"I'll be around. You know that! Until we meet again."

Despite all of the burden the Paladins had placed on my shoulders, for the first time in a long time, I felt genuinely happy.

A cold splash drenched my face as soon as my eyes cracked open. Sputtering, I recoiled away from its source. As I pawed at my eyes, I heard someone scrabble to his or her feet.

"Mona? You're awake?" the person asked. His voice sounded familiar, but I could not quite place it. Brushing away the water, I blearily opened my eyes again. Trevor hovered over me, a water canteen hanging from his hands.

"You're awake! Oh, heavens, I'm so sorry for spilling water on you. When you opened your eyes, you startled me! Sorry," he fervently apologized.

"N-No worries," I croaked. My voice felt it had not been used in an age. I gulped once, and my throat scraped dryly. I glanced at the canteen, then motioned for some water. Trevor obliged, tipping some into my mouth. I drank all the water the canteen had left, but I still thirsted for more.

"I could use some more," I said to him. Then, I added, "And some food, please."

"Oh! Yeah, I can get some food. Sure, it's being rationed, but it shouldn't be too hard to get you some," he said. He jogged out of the room with a skip in his step.

Guess he's doing better. Last time I saw him, he was passed out on a stretcher.

How I regarded that thought as normal acknowledged just how much my definition of "normal" had shifted over the past few weeks. I knew I brought a lot of it upon myself, but I never could have envisioned this most recent turn of events. Some small part of me still doubted whether what that Paladin had told me was true: that Arceus was slumbering, that he had a malicious twin hell-bent on destroying the world, that that twin had underlings and all sorts of evil creatures at his side, and that I was somehow supposed to fight all of that. All of that.

I groaned and thumped my head against the cot upon which I lied. My chest still burned hotly, and I wondered if that same sensation I had felt while still a spirit indeed originated from my body. Instead of inside of me, I felt the heat near my skin. Squirming weakly, I managed to shrug enough of the covers off of me that I could view my chest.

I jolted in surprise when I spied a faint glow emanating from my fur. Panicking, I glanced around for a reflective surface. Before my eyes landed on a shiny plate of metal, I spotted my treasure bag sitting on a nearby table. How it survived the escape from the White City, I had no idea, but I was grateful that someone had saved it.

Shakily, I rolled onto my paws. When I tried to stand, my legs gave out under me, my muscles weak from disuse. I ended up crawl-walking over to the metal plate and plopping down in front of it. Using the back of a forepaw, I pushed my thick collar fur upward to expose the skin on my chest.

A mark in the shape of ring shone in a soft yellow light on my bosom. Four diamonds intersected the ring, pointing in the cardinal directions. Entranced, I admired the symbol, the mark of the Paladins. I had no idea how long I sat in front of the plate, but when I heard approaching footsteps, I immediately lowered my forepaw. My fur fell back over the mark, hiding its shape but not all of its glow. With all the strength I could muster, I scrambled back over to the cot. I managed to slide under the covers just before Eris appeared in the doorway. She stared at me for a few seconds as if not believing what her eyes were telling her was there.

The next thing I knew, she had wrapped me in bear hug. Because of our size difference, she must have looked like she was reuniting with some long-lost doll. That thought, and her joyful sobbing, brought a smile to my face. Tears pricked at my own eyes.

"It's good to see you, too, Eris," I choked out, which only made her squeeze me more tightly. I could feel her compressing my lungs, and my breath grew short.

"Eris, you're going to kill her. Again," Ray said. His voice magnified at the end; he must had just entered the room. Eris blocked most of anything from my view.

Gasping, she quickly released me and scanned me over. I sucked in a deep breath of sweet air, surprised with how humid it was. Where exactly were we?

"Oh, Mona, I'm so sorry!" Eris babbled. "It's—It's just…" She wiped the tears from her eyes, sniffling.

"Yeah, me too," I said, knowing what she wanted to say. My eyes flicked over to Ray, and we made eye contact. His brow furrowed instantly, and the appendages on the side of his head briefly wavered.

My stomach curled; he had just analyzed my aura. What had he seen?

"Mona," Ray said flatly.

"Yeah?"

"How are you alive?"

Eris turned to Ray with a shocked gasp. "Ray! R-Really?!"

He gave no indication that Eris had even spoken to him. Glaring at me pointedly, he asked again, "People don't come back from the dead. How did you?"

I ducked my head, biting my lip. I wanted to tell them as much as I did not. Was it worth the risk?

"If I tell you guys, you can never go back," I spoke slowly.

"To me, I'm already off the deep end, so you can just tell me," Ray stated.

"I…," Eris said tepidly. She placed her hands between her legs, stealing a small glance at me. "I…yeah. Yeah."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, yes, I am." She would not look me in the eyes.

"Alright. I guess I should start with the fact that I never really died."

I explained all that I learned, from the world of twisted creatures—which I now knew was called Limbo—to the Paladins, Mordeus, the ruined Hall of Origin, the Black Augurs, and my duty as the next and final Paladin. I did not explain much about my powers; I had little understanding of them myself other than the vague explanation that the beartic Paladin gave me.

Neither Eris nor Ray uttered so much as a peep during my entire story. When I finished, Ray toyed with his collar fur, puzzled wonder etched on his face. Eris interlaced her hands in shell-shocked silence.

"We can't tell anyone about this," Ray said after a long silence.

Snapping out of her reverie, Eris immediately protested, "Why n-not? More Sh-Shrouds out there is s-s-something everyone should know!"

"But how would we explain how we know this?" I asked her. She opened her mouth, thought, then closed it with a knowing nod.

"We'd have to tell them what else we know, including about the Paladins…and me," I said.

"Isn't th-that a good thing, though? H-H-Haven't they been looking for a w-way to use the weapon?" Eris posed.

Ray raised his eyebrows. "A fair point. Mona, do you know how to use the weapon?"

I grimaced, then shook my head. "I know the basic theory, but my predecessors didn't really explain that much, now that I think about it."

Predecessors. The word felt so clunky, but at the same time, it was the truth. Many others had come before me, all called to fulfill the same duty that now rested on my shoulders.

"Then it's not a good idea. We've got no idea how they'd react," Ray said.

I nodded my head at him. "True. Thanks for taking this so well, guys."

"N-No problem. Still, to think that there's something like Mordeus and the Black Augurs out there…," Eris mumbled.

Ray huffed sharply. "And Arceus is sitting on his butt through all of this."
"Ray!" I exclaimed indignantly.

"Hey, I'm just calling it as it is. You think after however many years that he'd finally wake up and do his job," Ray said defensively. He crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke.

Unsettled by his remark, I shifted under the covers of my bed, and both Eris and Ray looked down at my chest. Realizing that the mark must still be glowing, I said, "Oh, and now I have this on my chest."

Throwing off the blanket, I parted my fur enough to reveal the diamond-pierced ring. Eris gazed at it in wonder, but Ray, after a quick glance, pointedly turned away.

"I-Is it always going to be glowing like that?" he stammered. I blinked once; then, my cheeks flushed as I quickly lowered my leg.

"I don't know," I rapidly answered. Dangit, Mona, you idiot!

Eris glanced between the two of us, a clueless expression on her face. "Is s-something wrong?" she asked.

"No!" both Ray and I exclaimed. Taken aback, she cowed herself into silence.

Eager to switch the subject, I asked, "Anyway, where exactly are we right now?"

After a few seconds, Eris answered, "We're, uh, in some outpost of the Vanguard's n-near Hawthorne's outskirts. It's kind of crowded here, b-but it's kind of nice, you know?"

An outpost near Hawthorne, huh? That would sure explain the humidity.

Hawthorne, like Treasure Town, bordered the ocean. While I had never visited the city, I had heard rumor of its glorious stone architecture and premier vistas. As the recently established capital of Westil, Hawthorne's government functioned primarily as a military. In the wake of the Paralysis Crisis, the cities scattered across Westil decided that better cooperation and defense was needed in case another catastrophic event occurred; thus, Hawthorne was created. Truthfully, I never bothered to learn much about the structure of the military, but I had always wanted to see the house of the Premier, the head of the government.

"Oh, and there's this event being held there in the, um, n-next couple of days," Eris added. "It's called…uh… What was it called again?"

"The annual Guildmaster's Convention," Ray answered. "It's being held in Hawthorne's local guild, the Ride Tide Guild. Team Crescent and some other explorers, I think, are going to it. My brother suggested that we go as well."

I mussed with my covers. "Did Icarus tell you anything about what would happen?"

Ray shrugged. "Not really. All I know is that a bunch of bigwigs are getting together to talk about the industry and other important bigwig-things. However, I just thought of something that might be useful."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "The Red Tide Guild is famous for its Crimson Archives. Icarus was ranting about how since Red Tide is hosting the event, the Archives will be open to the public for the duration of the event. I think it's a publicity stunt, but we could take advantage of that. Mona, didn't the Paladins say that you had to gather the remaining Plates?"

"Yes, they did, but they didn't tell me where they were. My spirit got sucked back into my body before they could get to that point," I said.

Ray snorted. "How convenient. Anyway, what if we attended the event and went into the Archives? There might be some information regarding the Plates' locations in there."

"You might just be right. Although, I never considered you to be a bookish pokémon, Ray," I remarked.

"Oh, please. My brother's just been raving about it ever since he heard the news. It'll get him off my back if we go the Archives, anyway," he said with a sigh.

"Okay, Ray, we'll go, even if it's just to please your big brother," I said. He gave me a cross expression, but I could see the laughter in his eyes. Truthfully, I hoped that we could find some answers in the Archives. The Paladins had given me no direction, and I felt more than a little frustrated with them because of that.

Right then, a knock sounded on the door. Trevor poked his head around the door frame, proffering a plate of food. "Am I disturbing anything?" he queried.

"Oh, no, come on in!" I said eagerly. The scent of food, while weak, tickled my nostrils and incited my hunger. With a sheepish smile, Trevor shuffled into the room and set the plate down by the bed. I dug into the meal without a second's hesitation, not caring what I shoved my nose into because heavens, it was so delicious.

"S-So Trevor, h-how have you been holding up?" Eris asked the politoed. Trevor rubbed the back of his head, the corners of his smile turning slightly downward.

"Oh, I'm doing just fine. The medics really helped me get back on my feet, heh heh," he replied. After a pause, he continued, "Anyway, I'll leave you guys to your, uh, peace. See you later."

He quickly hurried out of the room after that. I frowned as he vanished from sight. He had seemed so peppy earlier.

"It must be so h-hard, losing your entire v-v-village to halflings like that. He's been really depressed lately," Eris stated. I stared at the empty doorway in silence. Even though I had lost a close friend, I had no idea what it was like to lose your whole community.

He must be incredibly lonely.

"Who knows how things will turn out for us," Ray said simply. He propped his arms on the floor behind him and stared up at the ceiling. Eris folded her hands in her lap again. I turned back toward my food and began eating again.

The food did not taste as satisfying anymore.

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I would like to take a moment and thank all of you who have read the story up until this point. Even though I don't upload consistently, it's been a blast writing this story for you to enjoy. I hope you're staying safe during this atrocious COVID-19 outbreak!